Method of producing a rolled bundle of preformed valley flashing

ABSTRACT

A method of producing seamless rolled valley flashing by creasing an elongated relatively narrow length of flexible sheet material along its length to provide a cross-sectionally relatively shallow V-shaped form having an obtuse included angle. The creased sheet material is positioned on a cylindrical arbor with the obtuse included angle disposed to face radially toward the arbor and by increasing the included angle rolled onto the cylindrical arbor and secured to provide a rolled bundle of preformed valley flashing.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Robert S. Graving Rte.4 Box 432, Osseo, Minn. 55369 [21] Appl. No. 862,898 [22] Filed Oct. 1, 1969 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [54] METHOD OF PRODUCING A ROLLED BUNDLE 0F PREFORMED VALLEY FLASHING 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 53/21FW, 53/1 18, 93/16, 93/93HT [51] Int. Cl ..B65b 63/04, B65b 61/02, B65b 13/02 [50] Field of Search 53/21 (FW), 118; 93/1 (G), 58 (ST),93 (HT) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,068 5/1934 Raiche 53/118X 3,204,329 9/1965 Sweeney 93/93(HT) 3,434,399 3/1969 Palmer 93/58(ST) FOREIGN PATENTS 578,030 6/1959 Canada 53/2l(FW) Primary Examiner-Wayne A. Morse, Jr. Attorney-Merchant & Gould ABSTRACT: A method of producing seamless rolled valley flashing by creasing an elongated relatively narrow length of flexible sheet material along its length to provide a cross-sectionally relatively shallow V-shaped form having an obtuse included angle. The creased sheet material is positioned on a cylindrical arbor with the obtuse included angle disposed to face radially toward the arbor and by increasing the included angle rolled onto the cylindrical arbor and secured to provide a rolled bundle of preformed valley flashing.

' PATENTEBMAY2S|97I 3579.946

' INVENTOR.

ROBERT S. GRAV/NG A T TORNEYS METHODOFPRODUCING A ROLL BUNDLE OF PREFOD VALLEY FLASG BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I-Ieretofore it has been common practice to provide rolled bundles of valley flashing which are formed on the job. Since it is impractical to provide a break of sufficient size to form such flashing, such forming is usually accomplished by placing the flashing over a two-by-four or the like and forming the flashing into a cross-sectional V-shape having a desired obtuse included angle. Such an operation is, of course, time consuming and difficult to perform since one must first find a two-by-four which is not warped and secondly must require the help of one or more other persons to position and secure the sheet material for the forming operation. Known preformed sections of valley flashings are not adaptable to be formed onto a rolled bundle and must be stored and transported in their elongated preformed condition. Such preformed valley flashing must, of necessity, be constructed in shorter lengths for transport to the job and, as such, often requires seams when such lengths are not of sufficient dimensions to extend the length of the valley.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above in mind a rolled bundle of preformed seamless valley flashing is produced by providing an elongated relatively narrow length of flexible sheet material which is creased along its length to provide a cross-sectionally relatively shallow V-shaped form having an obtuse included angle. The creased sheet material is formed into a cylindrical roll on an axis extending transverse to the length of the sheet material by disposing the included angle to face inwardly toward a cylindrical arbor and increasing the included angle when the sheet material is formed into a cylindrical roll on the cylindrical arbor and securing the cylindrical roll in its rolled condition to provide a rolled bundle of preformed seamless valley flashing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a seamless valley flashing which may be preformed and formed into a rolled bundle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a preformed seamless valley flashing which is formed into a rolled bundle so as to require but a minimum of storage space and which may be easily transported to the job.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a preformed seamless valley flashing formed into a rolled bundle which requires but a minimum of time and effort to install on the job.

These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts through the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a length of seamless valley flashing;

FIG. 2 is a view in transverse section as seen from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the step of preforming the lengths of valley flashing;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a preformed length of valley flashing positioned relative to a cylindrical winding arbor;

FIG. 5 is a view partially in elevation and partially in vertical section showing the preformed seamless valley flashing being formed on the cylindrical arbor;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective illustrating the preformed seamless valley flashing formed into a cylindrical roll and secured to provide a rolled bundle;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating a prior art rolled bundle of seamless valley flashing; and

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective of a length of prior art preformed valley flashing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Due to the ever increasing need for homes and the like, increased costs of construction, and availability of funds for such construction, it has been economically desirable to provide more efficient methods of mass production in all phases of the construction industry. Precutting and preforming, together with better methods of packaging of the various construction materials, have been attempted in order to improve such mass production techniques. There have been attempts to improve valley flashing by either preforming or providing same in a rolled bundle form of a predetermined length. With respect to the former, FIG. 7 of the drawings illustrates a known prior art preformed valley flashing indicated generally by the numeral 10. Such flashing, due to the multiangular bends or creases running longitudinally thereof, is not adaptable to be packaged in a rolled form and consequently must be produced in relatively shorter lengths for purposes of storage and/or transport to the building site. In addition, such preformed valley flashing due to its relatively short length presents the additional problem of requiring transverse seams on jobs where the length of the valley exceeds that of the preformed flashing 10.

FIG. 6 of the drawings illustrates a seamless valley flashing, indicated generally by the numeral 11, formed into a cylindrical roll and secured by wires or the like 12 to form a rolled bundle. While the seamless valley flashing 11 obviates the need for transverse seams, since it can be produced in much greater lengths, a problem in installing same is presented since such flashing must be formed on the job.

For the purpose of eliminating the problems inherent in the above-described valley flashings, a method of producing a rolled bundle of preformed seamless valley flashing will hereinafter be described. FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates an elongated relatively narrow length of flexible sheet material, indicated generally by the numeral 15. Sheet material 15 is normally stored in the form of a relatively large roll as indicated at 16 and is generally constructed from such materials as copper, aluminum, and galvinized iron. Sheet material 15 is creased, as at 17, along its length to provide a cross-sectionally relatively shallow V-shaped form having an obtuse included angle indicated by the line 18 and defined by laterally spaced longitudinally extended relatively flat portions 19, 20. As shown in FIG. 3, crease 17 is formed by positioning the sheet material between guide elements 23, 24 and moving the sheet material 15 longitudinally between appropriately shaped rollerlikedie elements 25, 26. For reasons which will become apparent hereinafter, die elements 25, 26 are constructed to crease the sheet material 15 so as to provide an obtuse included angle of more than Upon leaving the die elements 25, 26 the creased sheet material 15 is moved into engagement with a cylindrical arbor 30 with the obtuse included angle 18 disposed to face inwardly toward the cylindrical arbor 30. Thereafter, creased sheet material 15 is formed into a cylindrical roll on an axis extending transverse to the length of the sheet material 15 by increasing the included angle 18 and forming the cylindrical roll on the arbor 30. Arbor 30 preferably has a diametric dimension of at least 5 inches in order that the crease 17 may be formed into a cylindrical roll without buckling the crease 17 at spaced points along its length. It will be here noted, that the obtuse included angle 18 is more than 135 so that the sheet material 15 may be rolled onto an arbor of a minimum diametric dimension without such buckling.

When a desired length of sheet material 15 has been formed onto the arbor 30 sheet material 15 is severed by a shear or the like 21 and thereafter is secured in its rolled form by means of wire 30 and the like or pressure sensitive tape, not shown, to provide a rolled bundle such as that indicated generally by the numeral 32 in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

It will be appreciated that a rolled bundle of preformed seamless valley flashing, produced through the abovedescribed manner, may be easily stored and/or transported to a job site and installed with but a minimum of time and effort.

What I claim is:

l. A method of producing a rolled bundle of preformed seamless valley flashing comprising the steps of:

a. providing an elongated relatively narrow length of flexible sheet material;

b. creasing said sheet material along its length to provide a cross-sectionally, relatively shallow, V-shaped form having an obtuse included angle defined by laterally spaced, longitudinally extended, relatively flat portions;

0. forming said creased sheet material into a cylindrical roll on an axis extending transverse to the length of said sheet material; and l d. securing said sheet material in said rolled form to provide a rolled bundle.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said obtuse included angle is more than 3. The method of claim 1 in which said creased sheet material is formed into a rolled bundle on a cylindrical arbor having a diametric dimension of at least 5 inches.

4. The method of claim 3 in which said included angle is disposed to face inwardly toward said cylindrical arbor.

5. The method of claim 4 including the step of increasing such included angle when said sheet material is formed into a cylindrical roll on said cylindrical arbor. 

1. A method of producing a rolled bundle of preformed seamless valley flashing comprising the steps of: a. providing an elongated relatively narrow length of flexible sheet material; b. creasing said sheet material along its length to provide a cross-sectionally, relatively shallow, V-shaped form having an obtuse included angle defined by laterally spaced, longitudinally extended, relatively flat portions; c. forming said creased sheet material into a cylindrical roll on an axis extending transverse to the length of said sheet material; and d. securing said sheet material in said rolled form to provide a rolled bundle.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which said obtuse included angle is more than 135*.
 3. The method of claim 1 in which said creased sheet material is formed into a rolled bundle on a cylindrical arbor having a diametric dimension of at least 5 inches.
 4. The method of claim 3 in which said included angle is disposed to face inwardly toward said cylindrical arbor.
 5. The method of claim 4 including the step of increasing such included angle when said sheet material is formed into a cylindrical roll on said cylindrical arbor. 